What's The Buzz

Nelson County Beekeepers

What’s The Buzz

Volume 5, Issue 4

Nelson County April 2019

Meeting April 18th @ 6:30 pm

April 18th @ 6:30 pm

Officers President-Steve Hutchins Vice President-Darrell Hester

Our guest speaker will be Adam Wheatley. He will be discussing any and all liabilities with selling your honey on the open market. Adam will be glad to answer any question you might have on that subjects.

Secretary-Bennie Hite

POT – LUCK DINNER

Treasurer & Editor-Susan Zhunga Hospitality-Monthly Volunteer Newsletter Publisher– Georganne Collins

Inside this issue: Meeting Minutes

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Meeting Minutes

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Pot luck will be served. Lee's Chicken.

Please be sure and bring sides and desserts to share. Don't forget to set up and clean up. We need to be mindful of the Extension Office sharing their kitchen with us.

Items Available for Sale 4

Mark the Date and Spread the Word

7

Robbie Smith County Extension Agent for Horticulture

Page 2 MEETING MINUTES March 21st, 2019 Steering Committee Meeting Attending: Gene Englert, Darrel Hester, Benny Hite, Ricky Humphrey, Pat Swartz, Henry Wilkerson, Susan Zhunga.

Discussed: Ricky Humphrey will be taking care of the trash pickup on Bloomfield Road like he does every year. Ricky has also spoken to the Ky Highway Department in regards to the pollinator plot.

They will treat the plot and also disk it for the up coming season.

People wanting to help setup for the bee school should be at the Civic Center tomorrow evening at 5:30. 52 people have signed up for the bee school as of now Bee Meeting: After a very good meal, the floor was open for questions about the bee hives. It was a very informative period where many questions where asked and answered by some of our members. There were 53 people in attendance and Frank Culver, John Shewsberry and Taylor Summers won the door prizes.

Benny Joe Hite Secretary FINANCIAL STATEMENT 3/15/2019

Opening balance

1/1/2019

$2,125.37

Gross Income

$469.00 Due/T's

Net Expense

$-643.00 includes school & free nuc

Bank Balance

$1,951.37

Page 3 April Calendar The Bees: The weather begins to improve, and the early blossoms begin to appear. The bees begin to bring pollen into the hive. The queen is busily laying eggs, and the population is growing fast. The drones will begin to appear. Blooms will appear and the beginning

of the nectar flow may require you to add supers to give the bees room and head off early swarming.

The Beekeeper: On a warm and still day, do your first comprehensive inspection. Can you find evidence of the queen? Are there plenty of eggs and brood? Is there a nice pattern to the queen's egg laying? Now is also the time to add your mite treatment selection. Also add menthol (as mite control). Later in the month, on a very mild and windless day, you should consider reversing the hive deeps. This will allow for a better distribution of brood, and stimulate the growth of the colony. You can begin to feed the hive syrup, medicated if needed.

Page 4 ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR MEMEBERS ONLY

Test kits for American Foul Brood (AFB) and European Foul Brood (EFB) are available for purchase from Extension Office for $14.00 each.

Please call me (Susan 507-8789) for availability.

If any member has beekeeping items for sale, list them in the newsletter and/or bring them to the meeting. We can do some bartering after the regular meeting is over. Good time to save some money on necessary items. Be sure and bring items in good clean condition. Make sure they are priced and have your name. We will set up special tables for your items.

Mike Johnson – Will make wooden ware to order.

Boxes, frames and wax dipping. Contact Mike for information and pricing @ 502-249-2007.

The Club - has NCB T - Shirts Prices are: $8.00 for children $10.00 for Adults and $12.00 for Adults 2x & 3x.

All members are encouraged to join us on Facebook. Ask questions, show your progress, and share your pictures. “Nelson County Beekeepers”. We would love to hear from you.

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To Our Membership

The club has added a lot of new members over the past year, and as such, would like to know what you would like to have presented at some of the meetings ? What would you like to lean more about, and how can the club help ?

It's your club, and your dues that support all of our efforts to help with understanding the importance of beekeeping. Talk to the officers at the meeting or post your thought on “Facebook�. We encourage you to bring us some ideas to keep the club interesting and informative.

Your President Steve Hutchins.

Page 6 MARK THE DATE & SPREAD THE WORD March 23, 2019 – The Year Two In Beekeeping School was a huge success thanks to the 11 volunteers which includes our instructors, Robbie Smith, Darrell Hester, Mike Vittitow, Ernie Sharp, and Ricky Humphrey. In attendance were 56 students.

Lunch was provided for $5.00, and information packets which included catalogs from Kelley's and Dadant. Thank you the Kelley's Beekeeping for several of the door prizes. The Big Winner of the Free NUC was a new beekeeper Malachi Hadley.

There are 2 extractors complete with all that you need to extract honey. It comes with a refractometer to test you honey. $10.00 for

usage, with a 2 day maximum.

Page 7 SWARM-CATCHING

By Tammy Potter – April Beelines Kentucky State Apiarist Swarming season will soon be here in Kentucky. It has already begun in Alabama. I like to remind folks about the “three-step rule,” that no one should go above three steps on a ladder to catch a swarm, without first asking who will pay the ambulance bill. Are your swarm tools in your vehicle? Here are some tools that I have found helpful: ● A corrugated nuc box with a frame of drawn foundation; ● A spray bottle with light sugar syrup; ● A “line throw,” available on Amazon.com for around $15, and a 50-pound line. ● A stepladder. ● Crawling insect repellent. Lyme disease is a serious threat.

Swarms typically alight on trees and in forest areas, so if you are going into the woods to catch swarms, apply plenty of repellent on your ankles, around your waist and around your neckline.

There is still no guarantee this will keep ticks out of your clothes, but it can help. ● A queen catcher. Sometimes it is handy to have a catcher holding the queen so you don’t damage or kill her. ● A set of pruners.

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Bardstown KY 40004

317 S Third St

Nelson County